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World Cup 2022

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Rita_Poon said:
Imagine what it does to the qualifying. What jeopardy are Italy in in a qualifying group of Luxembourg, Gibraltar, San Marino and Scotland?
What do England learn in a group of Faroe Islands, Cyprus. Georgia, and Malta?
What do France learn in a group of Finland, North Macedonia, Latvia and Wales?
What spectacle is there with Germany grouped with Armenia, Albania, Moldova and Azerbaijan?
Spain in vs Estonia, Lithuania, Montenegro, and Kazakhstan?
Holland vs Northern Island, Andorra, Kosovo, and Belarus?

These much lesser football nations ought to be in pre groups with one another, to earn the right to play the heavy hitters. It would mean more interest for them playing their equals (especially neighbours) it would mean less disruption to the elite leagues football as it could be played whenever as these international sides don't contribute many elite players yet. And less pointless games means the best players fresher for the top tournaments. The state as things are is chuffin rubbish and for the sake of greed fifa are looking to expand the tournament by a third. how will a 6+ weeks WC align with the olympics? Where and when are all the extra qualifying group games being played? The integrity of the competition previous is at stake as someone will eventually secure the golden boot for 20+ goals, a few hat tricks in the group stages vs Trinidad and Suriname will allow all sorts of players to eclipse the likes of Muller, Eusebio, and Kocsis without even making the semi's.

Shambles!
Click to expand...
And end up like the champions league?
That's what will happen.
Emerging football nations will never emerge.
 
Jamiednm said:
It’s arrogant and blinkered to ask “what do England learn from playing minnows”.

Football’s governing bodies have a responsibility to develop the game internationally, and the development of the popularity of football is probably one thing we can give FIFA and UEFA some credit for.

If that means the big teams play the smaller teams now and then, so what?

A 48 team World Cup sounds excessive, but I know I’d watch it. I already miss having 4 games a day going on now this group round is ending. Even if I don’t watch a lot of the games, it’s great to have the World Cup going on, scores to check etc all the time because it’s fun.

The alternative to continued expansion is a static sport which is exactly the same every year - the MLB in the US springs to mind. The NFL have started playing matches overseas to develop their sport in international markets, but that’s after decades of being a closed shop and they’ll always be behind football.
Click to expand...
Make it 96 teams and have it on for ten weeks then. Brilliant. Please don't complain about impact to club players and the headache for the league, especially with overlap with ACON, Copa America, Olympics and Euro's qualifiers.

Also the World Cup is every 4 years. Qualification is earned, just ask the Italians... When it becomes a free for all it drops the quality and the spectacle is over. 'but at least Harry Kane score 12 in a game huh'...
 
Rita_Poon said:
Imagine what it does to the qualifying. What jeopardy are Italy in in a qualifying group of Luxembourg, Gibraltar, San Marino and Scotland?
What do England learn in a group of Faroe Islands, Cyprus. Georgia, and Malta?
What do France learn in a group of Finland, North Macedonia, Latvia and Wales?
What spectacle is there with Germany grouped with Armenia, Albania, Moldova and Azerbaijan?
Spain in vs Estonia, Lithuania, Montenegro, and Kazakhstan?
Holland vs Northern Island, Andorra, Kosovo, and Belarus?

These much lesser football nations ought to be in pre groups with one another, to earn the right to play the heavy hitters. It would mean more interest for them playing their equals (especially neighbours) it would mean less disruption to the elite leagues football as it could be played whenever as these international sides don't contribute many elite players yet. And less pointless games means the best players fresher for the top tournaments. The state as things are is chuffin rubbish and for the sake of greed fifa are looking to expand the tournament by a third. how will a 6+ weeks WC align with the olympics? Where and when are all the extra qualifying group games being played? The integrity of the competition previous is at stake as someone will eventually secure the golden boot for 20+ goals, a few hat tricks in the group stages vs Trinidad and Suriname will allow all sorts of players to eclipse the likes of Muller, Eusebio, and Kocsis without even making the semi's.

Shambles!
Click to expand...
ae235
 
Alanbileysfeathercut said:
And end up like the champions league?
That's what will happen.
Emerging football nations will never emerge.
Click to expand...
The champions league has been rejigged so many times it has lost its appeal, add to that the removal from terrestrial tv and suddenly the reason behind the properly closed shop euro super scab setup is clear.
 

Rita_Poon said:
The champions league has been rejigged so many times it has lost its appeal, add to that the removal from terrestrial tv and suddenly the reason behind the properly closed shop euro super scab setup is clear.
Click to expand...
Football is all about money now,Qatar is proof.
You said it ' rejigged '..48 teams...next every 2 years?...next freeview stopping?
 
The competition requires it's luster, watering down the class in in means it's no longer the primo cup. Latvia or Belize get what for shipping the most goals in a group? "WC quals on tonight mate" "who we playing?" "England again" "nah we got smashed last time, our lot give plasterers and grave diggers a bad name..."
Have a sub qual system, best of the minnows gets a slot in the big comp. Quals for the euros and the rest still run, but lets keep the WC as free of rubbish as can eh.
 
So France, Argentina, Belgium, Germany and Spain have lost a game at the World Cup with Brazil and Portugal still to play their final group games but likkle ol England who are unbeaten so far apparently won’t progress past the quarters according to most people

Interesting

Guess Japan won’t beat Spain and Germany either. Oh wait.
 

Mikey_Fitzgerald said:
Loew also arguably overachieved at tournaments a few times before winning the big one

Got to a final in 08 and a semi-final in 10, which you could argue were better than expected placings based on the development cycle of the squad

Can you honestly say that Martinez has ever overachieved with this Belgian squad?
Click to expand...
That’s a good point. Overachieved in 2008 and 2010. Underachieved in 2018 and probably also 2012 and 2016. In 2014 I guess he just “achieved”
 
So England are my team for the knock out stages. We're having a World Cup tournament competition at work, and my assigned team was whoever won group B.

Of course you can't take Senegal for granted, but really England should be in the quarter finals at the very least. They might get to the last four at least. Indeed they might actually win the thing!
 

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